Furnace ash grinder and remover



May 30, 1933. F. B. ALLEN *FURNACE SH GRINDER AND RMOVER Filed May 19,1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mvENTo FFAA/KB. All F/V BY A -fs-/J/ NEY May 30,1933. F. B. ALLEN FRNACE ASH GRINDER AND REMOVER Filed May 19, 1928 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 30, 1933 UNITED STATESA PATENT ,01u-"lola:A

FRANK B. ALLEN, OF LOWER MERION TOWNSHIP, PHILADELPHIA COUNTY, PENN- ISYLvANlA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO- THE ALLEN-SHERMAN-HOFFCOMPANY, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL VAN IAApplication filed May 19,

This invention relates to an improved apterial and more particularlyincombustible residues from a furnace.

It has been customary v1n removing the 1narated from the fine materialbetween the furnace bottom and the conduit and the larger pieces brokenup or else removed. This procedure has necessitated the subsequenthandling of the coarse, solid material manually or by clamshell ybucketsand the like, and has not resulted in a sufiiciently finely divided massof solid material to be disposed of readily and completely through animpeller pump as is often desirable.

My invention aims to provide a power conserving apparatus for reducingash as ordinarily encounteredin furnace hoppers to the size required forpassage through animpeller pump.

It relates also to a portable ash grinder and means for employingthesame with a 'plurality of hopper discharge openings and an ash handlingfluid conveyor.

'the une 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Referring particularly to the drawings:

Fig. l is a longitudinal section through one form of device embodying myinvention and showing the grinding mill in side elevation.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section ta en upon In its preferred embodimentthe device comprises a furnace hopper having the side walls 1 and theend walls 2 and provided with a plurality of transversely extendingcrickets 3 in its bottom which cooperate with the side and end walls todirect the discharge of incombustible residues through a series ofdischarge openings. The discharge openings rality of toothed grindingrolls 5'may be suit ably mounted in the hopper for rotation therein,whereby incombustible residues may be ground to a certain size beforebeing dropped to the bottom of the hopper.

A portable` grinding mill is adaptedto be disposed beneath the hopperupon the basement' floor of the boiler house. The grinding` FUR/NACE ASHGRINDER AND IREMOVER 1928. serial No. 279.103.

mill comprises a receptacle 8 suitably mounted upon wheels. Thereceptacle extends outwardly of the hopperand upwardly beyond theposition of rest of solid materials banked between the receptacle andhopper. Aplucombustible residues from furnace bottoms to f drop the sameinto a. conduit containing wa ter, the coarse material having first beenseprality of toothed` grinding wheels 9 are mounted wit-hin thereceptacle, and are driven in rotati-on by the motor 10 through thetrain of connections illustrated. These grinding wheels break up theincombustible residues to a size smaller than that effected by thegrinding wheels o and sufliciently small for the residues to be washedthrough a conduit.

A conduit 14 is ldisposed lin the oor and.

extends beneath the discharge openings 'of the hopper. The surface ofthe fioor slopes toward the conduit as can be clearly seen in 'F ig. 2.Rails l5 to support the 'rinding mill are sunk in the sloping section oHoor on 'opposite sides of the conduit. The upper surfaces of the rails15 are substantially flush AWith the surfaceof the iioor so thatresidues falling upon the floor can be washed by water' tank permitsfinely divided residues andv Water to flow therethrough into the tank.The grate 21 is inclined at an angle so that residues too coarse to passthrough the grate are directed to a plurality of grinding r'olls 22mounted for rotation in the tank. These grinding rolls are adapted-tobreak up the residues to a suiiiciently small size, so that the entiremass of lresidues can be passed through an impellerpiimp 23. Theresidues are pumped through the pipe 24 toa storage tank 25.

In the operationof the device the incombustible residues'drop throughthe furnace hopper between the grinding rolls 5 where they are brokeninto coarse particles and acoumulate upon the gates 4 in the bottom ofthe furnace hopper. The. portable grinding mill is moved manually orotherwise to a. position in alignment with one of the dischargeopenings, the corresponding gate 4 is opened and the-residues aredropped into the receptacle 8. The grinding wheels 9 are rotatedbreaking up the residues to a size sufficiently small that they can beflushed by the water through the conduit 14. 'This operation isrepeatedl alternately at the other discharge openings of the ash hopper.As the mixture of water and broken residues passes from the conduit 14the finely divided residues drop directly into the tank 20 while thecoarser particles are propelled on to and further broken up by the rolls22 to a condition suitable to be passed through an impel- .ler pumpafter which the entire mass of residues and water is pumped into -thestorage tank 25. c f

While a particular embodiment of the invention has been hereindescribed,it will be apparent that' modifications can be made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention, and it is not desired tolimit the scope of the invention otherwise than is indicated by theaccompanying claims.

What I claim isl. In apparatus for handling solid materials, thecombinationof a hopper having-a series of discharge openings, movablegates for the openings, a conduit extending beneath the series ofopenings, a grinding mill mounted for movement longitudinally of theconduit having an inlet opening adapted to be disposed in alignment witheach discharge opening in turn and having an outlet opening adapted todirect the broken materials into the conduit, anda receptacle mounted onsaid grinding mill and having walls ex" tending upwardly and outwardlyfrom said inlet opening to a point beyond the position of rest of solidmaterials banked between the receptacle and hopper. y

2. In furnace construction, a floor, a hopper disposed in. spacedrelation above the floor, said hopper being provided with a series ofdischarge openings, movable gates for the openings, a grinding millmounted for movement between the floor and hopper and including areceptacle adapted to receive the resid;;es discharged through thedischarge openings and an outlet opening for the broken residues, saidreceptacle having Walls extending upwardly and outwardly from said inletopening to a point beyond the position of rest of solid materials bankedbetween the receptacle and hopper, and a conduit in the fioor extendedbeneath the series of discharge openings adapted to receive the residuesdischarged fr'om the outletopening and to conduct them' to a place ofdisposal.

3. In furnace construction, a floor, a hopper disposed in spacedrelation above the floor and provided with a series of dischargeopenings, 'movable gates for the openings, rails in the iioorsubstantialy flush with the surface of the floor, a grinding millincluding a receptacle adapted to be moved along the rails intosuccessive align-ment with the discharge openings of the hopper toreceive the incombustible residues discharged therefrom, means forbreaking up the residues in the receptacle, the receptacle beingprovided with an outlet for discharge of the broken residues, and aconduit in the floor extending beneath the discharge openings betweensaid rails and adapted to receive the residues discharged from theoutlet, and to conduct them to a place of disposal.

4. In apparatus for handling solid material, a hopper provided with adischarge opening, a receptacle adapted to receive the solid materialdischarged from the opening, said receptacle extending outwardly of thehopper and upwardly beyond the position of rest of solid materialsbanked between the receptacle and hopper, means in the receptacleadapted to break up the solid material, said receptacle being providedwith an outlet, a conduit adapted to receive the broken solid materialdischarged from the outlet and to contain fluid -means for conductingthe broken solid material through the conduit.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix my signature this 3rd day of May,'1928.

